Blanar: Slovakia Under No Obligation to Provide Military Aid for Ukraine

Bratislava, March 7 (TASR) - The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry rejects what it sees as misrepresentation of the outcome of the recent extraordinary summit of EU leaders on Ukraine and the future of European defence, with Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) underlining that Slovakia is not obligated by its conclusions to provide any military or financial aid for Ukraine, TASR was told by the ministry's press department on Friday. Blanar emphasized that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) had defended Slovakia's interests at the event as well as sustainable energy prices. "Any such support or security guarantees for Ukraine will fall exclusively under the remit of individual member states, and Slovakia consistently and unequivocally reiterates that it won't provide military aid from the Slovak Armed Forces stockpile and won't send its own troops to Ukraine," declared Blanar. He added that Slovakia on principle doesn't meddle in the affairs of other states and, therefore, respects the decision of other European partner countries to send such aid. Aside from Slovakia, 25 other EU member states conceded at the summit that the decision to stop the gas transit through Ukraine is problematic and cannot be tolerated. "It is for the very first time that European leaders in this context have directly called on the European Commission and Ukraine to address the situation," said Blanar, adding that statements made at the most senior European level take into account Slovakia's interests and pose a strong support for the Slovak Government in its further dialogue with the European Commission and Ukraine on the restoration of gas transits. mf